Ironic that the only piece of jewellery the DoW received from his mother was a pearl necklace, given her formidable jewel collection, and how generous she was with it to her children.

According to a story in the Financial Times today, some jewellery belonging to the Duchess of Windsor is going on sale at Sotheby's. The pieces include an onyx and diamond panther bracelet made by Cartier in 1952. The piece is expected to fetch in the region of £1.5m.

Would you accept an engagement ring with as much history as Kate Middleton’s? Much as we’ve enjoyed debating the issue, it’s not a dilemma many of us are likely to face. Still, if Prince William does plan to lavish his bride-to-be with emotionally-charged family jewels, he should head to Sotheby’s auction house tonight, where 20 pieces of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor’s personal collection are being auctioned off.

Syrian billionaire Wafic Said bought this collection according to the Telegraph article. Maybe he's bored of the items. Kelly Klein, Calvin's ex, had the QM pearls and sold a year or so ago. I guess if you need some quick cash its the thing to do. Some people aren't that sentimental - think Linleys.

A bracelet owned by Wallis Simpson has sold for a world record £4.5 million ($7.3 million) at auction.

The Cartier-designed onyx-and-diamond panther bracelet was sold at Sotheby's in London on Tuesday night. It is the highest price any bracelet has ever been sold for at auction. It also became the most expensive Cartier item to be sold at any auction.

It was one of 20 pieces owned by the late duke and duchess of Windsor to go under the hammer in the sale, which raised a total of £8 million, dwarfing estimates of about £3 million.

A ruby, sapphire, emerald, citrine and diamond Cartier flamingo clip was one of the other big successes of the night, reaching £1.7 million..

This week’s sale to multiple buyers isn’t only the most recent chapter in the long history of the coveted jewels. It has also finally laid to rest former Harrods’ owner Mohamed Al-Fayed’s ambition to acquire what Sotheby’s David Bennett, who worked on both the 1987 & 2010 Windsor jewels auctions, described as “the most important” jewelry collection of the 20th century.

After the Duchess of Windsor died in 1986, Fayed had swiftly acquired the lease on the Windsors’ Paris home in the Bois de Bologne from the then mayor of Paris, Jacques Chirac. He has rented it ever since. To his chagrin, the jewels were not included, so Fayed tried desperately to buy them to complete his collection of the Windsors’ Paris memorabilia. He already owned the Paris Ritz in the Place Vendome where the suite the couple spent time in had been named the “Windsor suite.” At the time, Fayed was laboring under the misapprehension that the Royal family would be impressed by his restoration of the villa Windsor. He appeared to think that reminding the British royal family of the darkest chapter in their 20th century history might endear him to the Queen and to the British establishment.

He offered a paltry $9.37 million (£6 million) for the Windsor jewels. The executor of the duchess’ estate, the late Maitre Blum, was unimpressed. The jewels went to auction in Geneva, as the duchess’ will instructed them to, and sold for $50 million. Fayed told me he was incandescent over the 1987 auction and...chose to blame the elderly Jewish lawyer for thwarting his ambitious purchase of the jewels, rather than the Duchess whose will decreed that the jewels be sold for charity..

@ Princejohnny25- Maybe the person who bought the bracelet will send it to Catherine as a gift ?

I don't think the Queen would like that. The whole 'scandal' really rocked the monarchy.. I do not think Kate will be receiving that bracelet as a gift. I'd like to think that some of her American family bought the jewels.